Wildlife: Do chimps have rhythm?
They might not be the next Nandi Bushell, but chimpanzees do love to drum. Wild chimpanzees have been observed for centuries drumming on tree trunks , externaland roots with their hands and feet. And now researchers have discovered that this drumming is done with deliberate rhythms to help communication. Researchers say this finding could also help explain the evolutionary origins of music.
Scientists have previously found that chimpanzees drum on trees to send information to each other. They also have previously found evidence that each individual has its own signature style of drumming. But until now, it wasn't known whether they have rhythm and timing to their drumming or if it is just random beats.Now experts have published research in the journal Current Biology, after observing over 350 drumming performances by chimps across several countries in Africa. And they have concluded that they do in fact have and understand rhythm.
From analysing recorded performances of the drumming, scientists were able to look at the gaps between each hit, and much the those rhythms change, or stay the same. They compared this to drumming with random patterns of beats, and they found the chimps' drumming was predictable which Prof Catherine Hobaiter, a senior author of the study, explained is a strong clue of rhythm. So next time you hear a beat in the trees, it might just be a chimp putting on a special jungle concert!
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